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Recording guide
You record your performance directly on the website — no extra software is needed. Work through the steps below before your official take and there will be no surprises.
Recording deadlines · Rules 4.1
Use an up-to-date version of Chrome, Edge or Safari on a computer or phone. Keep the device plugged in and turn off automatic screen lock. Close other apps and tabs before you record.
The camera and microphone on your phone or laptop are enough, as long as the camera records in full HD — the official take must be in 1080p, and the site warns you if your camera delivers less. Place the device in landscape and fix it about three metres away, so that you are in frame from head to foot, with the bellows fully open. A phone microphone is built for speech and struggles with an accordion up close, so keep that distance; an external microphone is a plus, but not required.
On the recording page, choose your camera and microphone and watch the level meter. It reads in dBFS: aim for peaks between −18 and −3 dBFS, below the red line at −3. Speech processing (noise suppression, automatic gain) is switched off — we record the real sound of the accordion. Play the loudest passage of your programme, and if the meter reaches the red, move away from the microphone.
A 60-second test recording does not count as your official take, and you can repeat it as often as you like. Play it back and check the framing and sound — the site also measures your upload speed; if it is slow, move closer to the router or use a cable. If you start many tests in a row, the site will ask you to wait a few minutes; this never affects your official takes.
Each stage is a separate official take with its own deadline — two for Junior, one for Masters and up to three for Senior, where Stages II and III are recorded only by those who advance. As on a real stage: once you confirm the start, a 60-second countdown begins — your time to get ready — and after it the recording cannot be paused or repeated. Recording stops by itself at the technical limit shown on the recording page, which is longer than the programme time allowed for your stage.
The video uploads to the server while you are still recording, with a clear progress indicator. When you finish, wait for confirmation that the recording has been received before you close the page.
Binding
These requirements apply to the official takes only — how you rehearse is up to you. Read them before you begin: the jury scores what the camera and microphone actually captured, and no stage has a second take to put things right.
One continuous shot from one fixed position, filmed in landscape. Do not zoom, pan or move the camera while you play, and do not let anyone hold it.
Head to foot, with the bellows fully open — about three metres from the camera. Both hands and the whole instrument must stay visible from the first note to the last.
A plain wall in a quiet room works best. Light yourself from the front and do not sit with a window behind you — a bright background turns you into a silhouette.
Watch the meter on the recording page while you play the loudest passage of your programme. The red line is at −3 dBFS; above it the sound distorts, and distortion cannot be fixed afterwards — move away from the microphone.
The same guide as a PDF in Serbian, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish and Chinese, to download, print or send to a teacher. The English text on this page is the binding version.
No reverb, EQ or any other processing on the input. Speech processing is already switched off on our side, so the accordion is recorded as it really sounds.
The organiser reviews every official take on receipt and may void one that clearly does not meet these requirements — a jury that cannot see the hands or the bellows cannot score the performance. If that happens, you will be told why, and whether a new attempt is granted.
Leave your email address and the organiser will notify you on the day they open.
Applications open on 1 March 2027.